Trump administration taps Nicki Minaj, Dean Cain for ‘Shark Tank’-style show

Nicki Minaj and actor Dean Cain are taking starring roles in a “Shark Tank”-style event being held by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“Starships” rapper Minaj — who’s described herself as President Trump’s likely “No. 1 fan” — will join an “all-star judging panel” including Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and investor Grant Cardone at the SBA’s “Million Dollar Pitch Competition” on Sep. 18, the agency announced this week.

Cain, who played the Man of Steel in the 1990’s series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” will host the live event in Washington.

As part of the competition, “five successful entrepreneur finalists will pitch their small businesses for a chance to win a portion of a $1 million cash prize pool funded by Clover Network, Inc.,” according to the SBA.

The five national finalists poised to compete include Compotech Inc., Winton Machine, Plas-Tech Tooling, Red River and VetPowered. Prizes range from $75,000 for fifth place to $400,000 for the first-place winner.

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler touted the match-up and its celeb-filled lineup, saying in a statement that Minaj, Cain and others will “only add to the excitement of this historic celebration of free enterprise.”

“Their presence will be invaluable in highlighting the unique and inspiring stories of the five finalists competing for $1 million in growth capital, and the importance of Main Street businesses in powering American strength,” Loeffler said.

The SBA said its pitch competition was created as part of Freedom 250, a public-private initiative launched by the Trump administration in 2025 to mark the country’s semiquincentennial birthday this year.